Victorian Bushfire Recovery Grants Announced

Media releases: 8 February 2018

Bendigo, 12 February 2018Today FRRR announce that 26 community groups will receive funding for projects to strengthen resilience and support long-term recovery goals in communities affected by the 2009 Victorian bushfires.

Community groups across fire-affected areas will share in $276,470 across two grant programs to implement locally led projects. As part of FRRR’s Natural Disaster Response Framework, and supported by the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund, these tailored grant programs continue to support the long-term recovery from one of Australia’s worst natural disasters.

Grants for Resilience and Wellness (GR&W) will fund 16 community groups, sharing in $172,668, to implement their local projects, and the Community Group Futures (CGF) program will fund $103,802 across 10 community groups.

The projects from GR&W support a range of community recovery, wellbeing and resilience initiatives, from supporting school programs and community events to funding infrastructure and equipment for communications and community spaces.

For example, the Upper Goulburn Community Radio Inc. will use their grant to enhance emergency broadcast communication and general community connectedness across the Murrindindi Shire through the purchase of a broadcasting console, and the Traralgon South and District Assoc. will stimulate community connectedness and informal support networks through the delivery of three, free community meal and movie nights.

The CGF program is designed to help community groups look forward and build their organisational sustainability, viability, capability and capacity, and this round of grants will achieve these aims through funding the upskilling members of local groups, installing solar panel systems, and supporting leadership development for local volunteers, among other projects.

The next round of these programs will be open from 6th March until 16th April.

All projects funded in this round for GR&W and CGF are detailed below:

Grants for Resilience & Wellness (GR&W) – Round 12 recipients

Applicant

Project Description

Location

Grant Amount

Communities That Care Alpine – Alpine Health

The Resilience Project – Communities that Care Alpine

Strengthen emotional coping skills and improve the mental health of students through delivery of an emotional resilience program to schools in the Alpine Shire.

Bright; Porepunkah; Myrtleford; Mt Beauty; Tawonga; Dederang

$10,000

Balook and District Residents Assoc

Rainforest Rhythms

Stimulate community connections and local tourism through a live memorial concert – ‘Rainforest Rhythms’ – to be held in the Tarra Bulga National Park.

Balook

$2,500

Budgeree Hall Reserve

Budgeree Hall Kitchen Reno

Provide a safe and functional venue for community activities via an upgrade to the kitchen at the Budgeree Hall.

Budgeree

$19,809

CFA – Arthurs Creek Strathewen

Love Where You Live Claymation

Enhance safety education through creation and presentation of a Claymation short film and evaluate learnings from Fire Education Sessions delivered at Strathewen Primary School.

 

Strathewen

$20,000

Eaglehawk Secondary College

3556 Magazine Digital Community Portal

Boost communication of school and community events and activities through development of a website to upload the school Magazine into a digital format.

Eaglehawk

$10,755

 

 

Freedom Care Inc.

Project Squirrel

Improve capacity of a food relief organisation to provide food for community members in need through purchase of shelving storage.

Kilmore

$1,850

Happy Valley Hall

Community Creating

Increase the capacity of the community to hold local workshops and courses through an upgrade to a shed on the Happy Valley Hall grounds.

Rosewhite

$15,552

Healesville Living and Learning Centre Inc.

Community Harvest

Strengthen community connectedness and wellbeing through the delivery of sustainable living workshops to the Badger Creek community.

Badger Creek

$9,950

Jindivick Primary School

Let our Voices Ring Out in the Community Hall

Enable the school and wider community to hold community events at the Jindivick community hall through purchase of sound equipment, microphones and chairs.

Jindivick

$4,217

Kinglake Ranges Men’s Shed Inc.

Workshop Heating

Heighten member participation and comfort through installation of sustainable heating for the Men’s Shed workshop.

Kinglake

$9,131

Traralgon South and District Assoc.

Community Connectedness Movie Nights

Stimulate community connectedness and informal support networks through the delivery of three, free community meal and movie nights for Traralgon South and District.

Traralgon South

$9,180

Upper Goulburn Community Radio Inc.

Broadcast Resilience

Enhancing emergency broadcast communication and general community connectedness across Murrindindi Shire through purchase of a broadcasting console.

Alexandra

$13,575

Whittlesea Men’s Shed

Storage Facilities for very important Timber

Increasing the available space and improving working conditions for member of  Whittlesea Men’s Shed through the construction of a storage shed for timber.

Whittlesea

$19,000

Y Water Centre Assoc. Inc.

Undercover Learning and Discovery – Stage 1

Driving capacity to deliver educational and community programs through construction of a roof over an existing deck at the Y Water Centre, a combined Interpretive Environmental Learning and Visitor Information Centre.

Yea

$17,775

Yinnar & District Community Assoc

“Me Too” – Scooter and Tricycle Track at Yinnar Skatepark

Encourage physical activity and interactions for local families via construction of a toddler bike track at the Yinnar Skate Park.

Yinnar

$2,500

Yinnar & District Memorial Hall

No Limits

Remove barriers to participation in facilitated health and wellbeing activities through a weekly Exercise program for Seniors 60yrs+.

Yinnar

$6,874

Total

$172,668

Community Group Futures (CGF) – Round 5 recipients:

Applicant

Project Description

Location

Grant amount

Coleraine Men’s Shed

Sunshine for Sustainability

Grow the current and future viability of the Men’s Shed through the installation of a solar power system.

Coleraine

$6,999

Ellimatta Inc.

Ellimatta Report Card

Strengthen accountability and relationships with funders, and enhance understanding of the impacts of Ellimatta Inc.’s operations by conducting an independent review of organisational activities.

Kinglake

$15,000

Mirboo North Arty Gras Festival (Mirboo Country Development Inc.)

Training Tomorrow’s Leaders

Strengthen the viability Mirboo North Arty Gras Festival by upskilling Committee members in strategic planning and financial analysis.

Mirboo North

$2,475

Recreation Committee

Sport Pavilion Solar Power System

Increase the viability and sustainability of the Redesdale Recreation Committee through installation of a solar power system on the Redesdale Recreation Reserve sport pavilion.

Redesdale

$7,649

Rivers and Ranges Community Leadership Inc.

Project Transition

Increase the capacity of the Rivers and Ranges Community Leadership Program through employment of a Program Manager (therefore allowing capacity for the Executive Officer to focus on sustainable income generation.)

Broadford

$20,000

Toolangi Forest Discovery Centre

School Days, School Days, Good Old Golden Rule Days

Boost the Centre’s viability through the employment of an education program coordinator to develop programs for visiting schools.

Toolangi

$19,757

U3A Mirboo North and District

Off to a Great Start, Running a U3A

Enhance lifelong education opportunities through the development of policies and procedures and a ‘how-to guide’ for setting up U3A groups, ensuring ensure consistency of best practice.

Mirboo North

$7,650

Victorian State Emergency Service Alexandra Unit

Inspiring volunteerism

Encourage volunteering through a workshop to develop leadership skills for 20 local volunteers and through support for groups to attract and retain volunteers.

Alexandra

$2,090

Whittlesea Community House Inc.

Reigniting Whittlesea’s Spark – Good Governance Training

Build local capacity to effectively manage community organisations through delivery of governance training for Whittlesea community groups.

Whittlesea

$12,182

Yarra Valley ECOSS Inc.

Catching the Sun

Increase financial viability of ECOSS and co-located community organisations through reducing power bills, via the installation of a 3Kw grid integrated solar power system with associated battery bank.

Yarra Junction

$10,000

Total

$103,802